Rescued some pictus

[Ravenlock]

Hello. I was here a while ago about a syno. eupterus and you guys were very helpful.
I am pleased to report that "Monstro" was upgraded from his 29g to a 50g(US) and is now much bigger at 9 inches! I decided that such a cool fish deserved his own show tank to himself! He has lots of driftwood and rocks to cruise over and under. He seems happy.
Everybody who comes to my house just loves his whiskery face! They think he is so cool! He even eats blood worms from my hand.
I must admit I never thought much of catfish(other than cories) before, now I have a whole new appreciation for them.

Anyway... So my question this time is about a trio of pictus cats I rescued from a guy at work. He had the 3 of them in a 10g with 7 black skirt tetras. I was looking for something to put in my empty 35g(US) and he was getting rid of the tank. I knew that a 10g was way too small for pictus.
My tank was fully cycled as it used to be my angel tank until I upgraded them to a 55g. I did some research on them before I took them, but there are a number of things that confused me.

1. How big do they get? I've read 5 inches and I've read 12 inches. That is a heck of a difference!

2. Some sites said they get along fine with tetras others say they will eat them. Will they be alright with tetras of that size?

3. What size tank do they need? I've read 30g(US) minimum and I've read 55g(US) minimum.

4. How quickly do they grow? I've read really slowly others state really quickly.

5. I used a bucket to transfer them from tank to tank(not a net) as I was wary of the barbs on their fins. If the fish bumps into my hand during tank maintenance is it going to stab me? Or is it harder to get stabbed? I'm kinda wary of sticking my hand in the tank unless I know exactly where they are. Which is actually quite hard since the miters never stay still!!


As you can see I'm a tad confused!
The fish are only about 2.5 inches right now, so I figure that they should be okay in the 35g for a little while. I may be able to get a larger tank in October.

Thank you for any and all help!

[Silurus]

I think most of your questions can be answered here:

Pimelodus pictus

As for the last question, you usually do not get stung by a catfish just by sticking your hand in the tank. You are more liable to get stung by handling them.

[Birger]

1. How big do they get? I've read 5 inches and I've read 12 inches. That is a heck of a difference!

This

Pimelodus pictus

is what we call a pictus
Many people will just lump together different pimelodus, such as

Pimelodus blochii

for example or

Pimelodus ornatus

which do get to the larger sizes you mention, when smaller many pimelodus may seem similar.

2. Some sites said they get along fine with tetras others say they will eat them. Will they be alright with tetras of that size?

Like many catfish (or any other fish for that matter)if it will fit into the mouth ...it will be or at least the attempt may be made to eat the smaller fish and the pictus is no exception. Many underestimate the size a fishes mouth can open to.

3. What size tank do they need? I've read 30g(US) minimum and I've read 55g(US) minimum.

They can survive in a 30 but will do much better in a 55 or larger, and a larger school will be possible which makes them more enjoyable to watch.

4. How quickly do they grow? I've read really slowly others state really quickly.

It would depend on water conditions, the size of tank may make a difference as optimum conditions would be easier to keep in the larger tank, but it would also depend on amount and type of food given, once they are settled in they are not shy to eat and the problem becomes making sure they do not overdo it. I would think they could be considered fast growers in optimum conditions.

5. I used a bucket to transfer them from tank to tank(not a net) as I was wary of the barbs on their fins. If the fish bumps into my hand during tank maintenance is it going to stab me? Or is it harder to get stabbed? I'm kinda wary of sticking my hand in the tank unless I know exactly where they are. Which is actually quite hard since the miters never stay still!!

Well you should have some experience as the eupterus could do the same to you, I think it is just a matter of being aware of where they are , not sticking your hand behind a log where there may be a resting catfish, startling them, or as you have done being careful catching and transferring them, not only can you be accidentally struck but they can get tangled in nets and become damaged in the attempt to disentangle them.

Birger

[Ravenlock]

Thank you so much. I did read the profile on this site before I posted, but like I said I read a lot of different things on different sites, and sometimes the profiles of this species were totally different.

I believe they are pimelodus pictus as they look just like the pictures on the profile page of this site.

You know it's funny, I don't worry about getting stung by Monstro. I can always see where a 9 inch fish is! These little miters though, they be zippy and tiny.

I will begin saving for a larger tank. A 55g would be okay then? Then I could just leave the tetras where they are.
I'll have to wait until October though. That's when my parents are going to England for 3 weeks. If they're in England they can't say no to a another tank!

[Richard B]

Really good to see you gaining an apprecaition of other cats

Accidental "spinings" (is that a word?) or pricking of the hand by cat spines are unusual - as pointed out, it is more likely when handling, removing from being tangled in nets, disturbing decor layouts etc - it can be very painful but i (personally) don't worry about it (having been 'done' by many cats in the past & survived to tell the tale!)